Francis w



(No Hedel.)

F. W. JONES'. ELBGTRIAL SWITHING'. APPARATUS.

Patented Dec.v 22, 1896.

INVENTOR:

B `s`A ey,

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS lV. JONES, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRICAL SWITCHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,601, dated December 22, 1896.

Application filed October 15, 1896. Serial No. 608,933. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANCIS W'. JONES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York,in the county and Stat-e of New York, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Switching Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in switchboards or switching apparatus for use in telegraph oices.

It is the common practice to arrange a vertical switchboard upon a horizontal table. Upon the vertical board there are strips of metal arranged vertically and other strips at right angles thereto, a plug or connecting-pin being inserted at intersecting points to connect the battery terminating in the horizontal strips with the line-wire terminating in the vertical strips. Along the lower edge of the vert-ical board there is a row of springjacks normally forming part of the mainlinewires, respectively. Aseries of iiexible conducting-cords, either single or double conductor, have their ends flxed upon the under side of the horizontal board and are there connected with telegraphic instruments located in the sam e apartment, while other cords are connected to branch wires or loops extending to substations, such as hotels and mercantile establishments. Each of these flexible cords has its opposite end equipped with a plug having electrical contact-points which register or cooperate with the contactpoints of the spring-jacks, and any number of these plugs, within certain limits, may be inserted into any single jack. These cords pass through apertures in the horizontal board or table of such a diameter that the cord will move freely while the plug on the end of the cord will be caught and held. Thus the plugs are always accessible upon the top of the table. For the purpose of maintaining the plugs in contact with the table and controlling the disposition of the iiexible cord below the table a take-up device has been provided for each cord, and this usually consists of a leaden weight attached to a pulley running upon the cord. The pull or tension which these weights exert upon the cord is constant, whether the end of the plug be resting upon the table or in those cases where the plug is in position in the jack.

The object of my invention is to relieve a cord from the pull or tension due to a take-up device and due to the effect of the crossing of the cords which operates to superilnpose the weight of several cords and'take-up dethe displacement of the second plug, because in releasing the first plug the restraining effect of the jack upon the second plug 'is removed and the take-up of the second cord withdraws it unless special care be exercised and both hands of the operator be available.

My improvement consists in combining with the cord an automatic locking device, in position to engage the cord between the plug and the take-up device, so that when the plug is placed in a jack the length of cord between the horizontal table and the plug is relieved from the pull of the take-up device and from the pull of the other cords of the series which may cross or engage with such cord, so as to superimpose their weight thereupon and also the weight of two or more take-up devices. To this end I provide a metal thimble surrounding the cord at the aperture in the horizontal table through which the cord passes. In or upon this thimble or ring is placed a latch or lock and a spring which constantly presses the latch into engagement with the cord.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure lis a vertical elevation of a switchboard having spring-jacks, conducting-cords, and my improved locking device applied to the cords. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line in Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a thimble with the cord removed, allowing the interior of the lock or latch to drop down, while its normal position is shown in dotted outline.

Vis the well-known arrangement of vertical board, preferably of hard Wood, upon the surface of which are the metal line-strips s, eX-

tending vertically, and the horizontal rows of electrically-connecte'dslotted metal diskst, with plugs 7L, to connect any row of disks to any vertical strip.

J J is a series of the well-known springjack, usually included in the main line in series with the strips s.

His a horizontal board or table fixed to the vertical board V. BoardH has a series of perforations A, arranged inone or more rows.

Through each perforation there passes a flexible conducting-cord C, which may contain one or Vtwo insulated electrical conductors. One end of each cord'isi'iixed to1a`screwcup or screw-cups a, to which are also connected the terminals of electrical instruments lor loops or lines extendingtosubstations. The free Vend of .each .cord C' terminates in -a'rplug P,having contact-pointsc, which-register and cooperate lwith .theY contactvpoints .of-the jacks J. Upon each cord-.Cis-arranged a gravity take-.u p W; of wellknownfzc'onstruc-tion,usually consisting of a grooved pulleysrunvning upon acordand a leaden lweightattached thereto. I

VVT is a metal thim'ble, ring, orv cylinder :s urrounding the perforation in the 'board Il, through which thecordfpa-sses. :Each `thimble T has alock or latch L,springactuated to engage thesurface ofthe cord 0, but which is .conveniently shapedto be operated -by the thumb or finger and --so withdrawnfromengageinent `withthe cord whenever it is desirable to change the position .of the .cord C. One form .of construction of'this thimble-isshown in Figs. .2 and 3.

T is-abrass'cylinder having-a strengthening-collar oat the bottom. At one side near the bottoni isa perforation p through th'e wall, and a latchfpiece L, consi-sting of apiece of brass bent to an'angle of ninety-livre or one hundred degrees,is passed throu gh :the perforation p, -sothat the an gl e` rests upon the lower side .of-.the perforation@ and rocks thereon.

m is a blade-spring fixed-upon the inside of .-.T, as by Vthe screw fn. The y.free --end of spring m rocks lthevlatch L into contact'with the surface of the cord lC :and blocks its Yfree movement. Inorder'to free the cord, pressure is'applied to the exteriorportion of the latch -L.

The-operation of the apparatus is as follows: Normallyvall the cords rest withthe butt of the plugP incontact with the thimble T. To insert the plug P into a-jaok,\tlie latchL is depressed to free or release `the cord and the :plu g or plugs placed .in position in the jack, as shown at thefright hand' of the drawing Fig. 1. The latch islthen released and .theinfluence of V:the Weight W is removed from the portion of :the-cord'C'above'thetable. It it is desired to remove one of the two plugs, it can be withdrawn 'by the use of one hand, while the second plugin the same jack remains undisturbed, there being no pull upon such second cord from the effect of the take-up W thereon. While the beneficial effect of such a locking device is apparent with a small number of cords, its greatest utility is. found where there are a number of cords employed, which in lthe course of use are caused to cross each other, as shown in Fig. 1. In such cases the weight of several cords with their take-up devices are superimposed upon "one c0rd,`such1added Weight being often suficient to interfere with the successful use of the plugs.

What I claim, and desire tolsecure ters Patent, is-

l. The combination inaswitchboardof a sprin-gej ack, -twovor moretlexible cords, aplug for each cord,'-a-ta1keup device for each cord and I*means .for locking er holding a cord against Athe action of said'take-upldevice,substantial-lyas described.

2. The combination in a switching apparatus ot' a spring-jack, a iiexible vconductingcord Va .take-up device thereforfa' plug forming the termin al of said cordhaving'contactpoints 'cooperating with' :the .contact-points in said .jaclcand means for lockingor -holding said cord'ata point between "said plugand said take-up 'device whereby said cord, when in use, may be relieved from the infiuence of by-Letsaid take-up, substantially as described.

B. The combination in aswitchingapparatusof a spring-jack, a ftiexible conductingeord, a plug carrying contacts registering with said spring-jack contacts, a take-updevice operating to withdraw said cord, and a'locking device fixed imposition between said plug and take-upto catchand hold said cord, substantiallyas described.

4f The combinationfof a-series of flexible cords each fixed atonenend, a plug for each cord forming 'the free terminal thereof, 4a

spring-jack to receivesuch plugs, and-a locking device to hold a .cord against the tendency to displacement due to manipulation of other cords of the -seri'es,'substan tially as described.

5. The-combination in aswitchboardxof. a flexible Y cond uctin g-cord passing through'an aperture in a table or support, a metal vring or tthimble upon the table through-whichsaid cord passesl having a' spring-actuated lock-l or catch engaging thefsurface of-said cord, substantially as described.

FRANCIS 'W. JONES.

lVitn'esses M. M Dnvis, WALrERiS. PLAGE.

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